Won't Let Go
by Dell451
Summary: Sonmi's story from Hae-Joo's POV. Supposed to be a one-shot, got a bit longer so divided into three parts.
1. Important, please read!

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!**

I strongly advise you to read this post before proceeding to the actual story.

First off:

DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringement intended. This is for entertainment purposes only. I do not own any of these characters. Credits go to David Mitchell, Tom Tykwer and Andy&Lana Wachowski.

Second:

The story is written in a writing style similar to the actual book, so if you haven't read the book (but even if you have), please take a look at the list of changes in vocabulary that is used in this fic.

- everything that begins with ex- now only starts with x- (e.g. experience is xperience, exit xit, and so on.) No exceptions to this rule. If there is, it's my mistake and you can point it out to me.

- the use of "gh" has been dropped in certain words (so light is lite, night nite, etc. Also, though is only tho, through became thru…) It does not apply to all words, mostly for aesthetic reasons (the change from tight to tite bugged me too much so I ended up not changing it, and rite (=right) also irks me a little but I kept it for the time being) but also because not all words with "gh" underwent this change in the book.

- disney = film; vidi = video; kino = video player; sony = computer; drivetube = futuristic road; aero = that jet/plane/helicopter thing :D

Third:

CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS! Do NOT read this if you haven't seen the movie/read the book. I'd hate to spoil the experience for you. Also, if you haven't seen the movie, why are you reading this? GO. SEE. THE MOVIE. NOW. ;)

And finally:

Please do excuse my somewhat limited English. Unfortunately, it's not my native language. :)


	2. Part 1

**After literally years, I finally wrote something! I hope you'll like it! Reviews and criticism are most welcome. Make sure you read the first post before you start reading this, please.**

* * *

"Seer Rhee is dead. We need you to xtract her immediately. "

The words still ring in my head as I enter Papa Song's in the middle of the nite. Getting in was easy; apparently nobody xpects Purebloods going here during curfew, and the Fabricants can't use the elevator themselves.

I find the seer's body in his office. Sprawled on the floor, empty Soapsacks all around him. His face is deteriorated almost beyond recognition and dried Soap is all over his face. Unpleasant site. If the man had any idea what he was eating… I sigh and begin documenting the scene on my handsony. _It won't take long,_ I tell myself. _Then I'll wake her._

I am almost finished when I sense I am being watched. I turn around, slowly, and see a Fabricant. But not just any; it's _her._

I know she is in the process of ascension, and so can wake up on her own. What I don't know, and definitely don't xpect, is what I feel when I look at her. How long have I known her? A second? It seems like a lifetime.

The moment our eyes meet, she darts away.

"Wait!" I cry after her. "Wait."

Surprisingly, she stops in her tracks. Her body trembles with fear as she looks at me. The poor woman is so scared; I hate myself for raising my voice.

Calmly, soothingly, I tell her: "There's…no reason to hide. I know you are…Sonmi~451." She is shocked to hear her name, so I quickly introduce myself: "My name is Hae-Joo Chang."

I half xpect her to ask how I know her. Instead, her question is: "What has happened to Seer Rhee?"

I look behind me at the dead man. "Soap overdose." Her eyes are fixed on the body as I continue. "It is unfortunate that it had to happen with everything gone so well. Because now it is probable that the Enforcers and DNA sniffers will find out about you. And if they do, if they realize your connection to Yoona~939, you will be xcised." She is looking at me now, her eyes full of fear and confusion. "But you have a choice. You can remain here and risk being discovered…" I pause, letting the words seep in, "or you can come with me." I try to put on a reassuring smile.

Even tho I am ordered to bring her back, I just have to give her a choice. I don't want to order her around like other Purebloods do. And at least this choice is easy. Or so I hope.

She glances at the seer again, then looks around until her eyes stop on me. After a small hesitation, she nods.

I smile, relieved. "Is there anything you would like to take with you?" I know Fabricants aren't allowed to have possessions, but she is ascending, and was also friends with Yoona~939. So I'm not surprised to see her nod, retreat back to her room and return with a kino. I hand her some clothes. She stares at them. "It's cold outside; these will keep you warm," I tell her and finally she takes them and puts them on.

There is no time to loose. We come to the gate, the only security this place seems to really have, which I left half-lowered when I arrived. I go thru but she is still hesitant; Papa Song's is the only life she knows, and leaving it behind isn't easy. But she trusts me enough to overcome her fears and climbs under the gate to me. I close it completely and lead her to the elevator.

When it opens, I step in and wait for her to follow me. She's never been in an elevator either. I offer her my hand to help her in. Still clutching to the kino, she slips one hand into mine and I pull her inside. The elevator door closes and up we go.

I am too aware of her close proximity. _What is happening to me?_ I think. _Why do I feel like I've know her all my life?_ Well, whatever the reason, I know that from now on I am saving Sonmi~451 not only for Union's sake, but for my own as well.

The elevator ride is a whole new xperience for her. As we speed up from the underground, lites flash all around, blinding her, and she nervously twirls the kino in her hands. And then she gets a view of the city. She's speechless, her eyes wide. She can finally see what world she was created to. Not many Fabricants have the luck to see it.

"Welcome to Neo Seoul."

* * *

First things first. As we get out of the elevator, I lead her down the Chongmyo Plaza to one specific and quite xtraordinary Ovid. When she asks where I am taking her, I tell her that her collar has to be removed before anyone can find out she's missing. She nods and follows me in silence from then on.

Thankfully, the Ovid lives nearby and nobody is looking for Sonmi yet. But as it is still curfew, we can't be seen wandering outside, so we go as fast as she is able to.

We reach the Ovid without any trouble, thankfully. He knows xactly what to do, and tells Sonmi to lie on the table while he prepares his tools. Nervously, she does as she is told. With the rite tools at hand, the Ovid turns to her. "Be very still," he warns her. Fear gets a grip on her again, but she does her best not to move a muscle. He attaches small devices on her collar. "Termination charge," he continues and pushes a button on one of the devices, "here." It beeps in reply. "Just enough to blow carotid." With that he finally begins cutting thru the collar, which can easily detonate in a matter of seconds with just one wrong move. Sonmi realizes this too and closes her eyes, xpecting the worst.

I look at the Ovid, hoping he really knows what he is doing. She is our last hope, surely he realizes that! If the collar blows before it is removed…I don't want to think of the consequences…

Sonmi is shaking, fritened more than ever. _If you hurt her, I swear I will end you._ I don't get the chance to plan the ways to kill the Ovid, tho, because with a sudden _click_, the collar is cut. I realize I've been holding my breath the whole time, so I xhale, relieved. The Ovid removes the collar from her neck.

Sonmi slowly sits up, her finger tracing the now free neck. Her xpression is dumbstruck. I can only imagine what goes thru her head rite now.

"How does it feel?" I ask.

She looks at me. "Good."

* * *

We arrive at the safehouse before dawn. Another elevator ride, then the door opens and we get a view of the apartment. It isn't much; basically only fours stone walls with a table, chairs and bed. "Come," I say as I lead her inside. With the handsony I turn on the apartment's registry.

"Welcome, to habitat's main registry," it welcomes us. "Security: maximum." _I wonder if that will help._ I design the apartment's floors, walls and windows as the registry keeps talking. With the apartment now designed and habitable, I turn the front wall into a window. Outside shine lites of an old city that is half underwater. Behind a dam, another city, new and modern, can be seen.

Sonmi walks to the window, stunned.

"That's Old Seoul," I inform her. "If the tides keep rising at their present rate, Neo Seoul will also be underwater in a hundred years." I don't really know why I am telling her this. Neither of us will live long enough to see that happen. And it isn't even a good conversation starter._ Pathetic, Hae-Joo. Pathetic._

"Your food is in here," I motion at a wall near the door where a small fridge is hidden. "It's not what you're used to, but I think you will like it." No way she is eating Soap. She's had enough of that vile stuff. It's time she tastes proper food.

"This is your bed," I say pointing at a mattress with a neatly folded blanket. "These are your clothes." I open a door in the wall, revealing a wardrobe full of clothes. She approaches it carefully, gently touching one of the dresses.

She is confused. "Mine? But these are…Pureblood clothes," she objects.

I chuckle and shake my head. "No, they are yours," I assure her with a smile.

She only stares at me, surprised.

Afterwards, I show her the bathroom hidden behind another wall. She takes some of her new clothes and xcuses herself to go wash up and change. In the meantime, I take the kino, her prized possession, and turn it on. A vidi of an old man shows up. "This is a violation of a ruddy Incarceration Act!" he yells. "I will not be subjected to criminal abuse!" Then it freezes and repeats itself. I turn it off. I know this disney; I've seen it a long time ago. Maybe she'd like to see the whole thing.

I just finish digiting it when she returns from the bathroom. The new clothes suit her well. More than well. "Do you like them?"

She nods.

"You look lovely." Understatement of the century. _Stop staring at her, Chang._ "Here," I say as I take two seats and place them in front of a wall. "Come here." As she comes closer, I pick up her kino. "Now, this used to play vidis, but the chip is corrupted. Stuck in a loop, so I digit it and found the rest of it."

"The rest of it?"

With a sway of my hand, the wall turns into a giant screen. An old disney called "The GHASTLY Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish" starts playing. Sonmi's eyes are fixed on the screen, her interest piqued.

* * *

"I will not be subjected to criminal abuse!" the old man in the movie says again and hurries for the door. A flash of brite lite and suddenly the man is sitting at his desk in front of a window. "Outside, fat snowflakes are forming on slate roofs. Like Solzhenitsyn, laboring in Vermont, I shall beaver away in xile." The man is typing on a very old sony. "Unlike Solzhenitsyn," he continues, "I shan't be alone."

It is at this moment when I stop watching the happenings on the screen and glance at Sonmi sitting beside me. Tears are welling up in her eyes, so happy she is to see the whole disney. I allow myself a small smile as I look back to the screen. But I'm not really paying attention to the disney. Not anymore. My thoughts are back on Sonmi, and how different she is from all the Fabricants I've ever seen. It isn't just the immediate affection I felt to her, no. There is something else about her…something that makes her special. Even tho she is a Fabricant, a clone, and there are hundreds of Sonmis in Neo Seoul, she is different. Unique. Is it the result of her ascension? _Yoona~939 was ascending too and she couldn't be more different than her,_ I remind myself. _True. Then what is it?_

The next day, her education is about to begin. When she wakes up, I am already downloading study materials for her. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn seems like a good choice. For starters. His works are banned by Unanimity, of course, but they will help her enormously.

As she comes to me, she notices what I'm doing. "But…Seer Chang," she begins, but I stop her.

"Please, you must call me Hae-Joo." _I will not let you treat me like an authority. You need to understand we're equals._

"Hae-Joo," she says sheepishly. Not meeting my eyes, she searches for the rite words. "Fabricants can be xcised for this."

I nod. I am well aware of the danger I'm putting her in, but it is necessary. "Well, survival often demands our courage." I can't think of a better thing to say and now _I_ have a hard time meeting her gaze. She's already showed more courage than I had the rite to ask of her.

When finally our eyes meet, her xpression changes from fearful to determined. She walks over to the sony.

In the following days, I would find her at the sony, learning whatever she can about Fabricants, the world, history, _everything._ She learns about the Union as well, about the General. But I don't tell her I am Union too. Maybe she suspects. At any rate, it doesn't change anything.

But with her knowledge rising, so do her questions. One in particular is hard to answer.

"Why me?"

I don't know why we chose her, or even Yoona~939. Coincidence maybe? It doesn't really matter. "Our goal was to create a free-willed Fabricant. Yoona was our first attempt. But, as you well know, she failed. You were our back-up, and now our only hope."

One day I notice she cut off the two colorful strands of hair. Sign of her rebellion against Unanimity. A good sign.

* * *

A ship. Sailing across the ocean. _Prophetess._ Beloved wife. Beautiful sunset. A woman in my arms. I look at her. A name tries to reach my memory. General Apis. Pressure on my chest. Slaves. Fabricants. Poison. The pressure won't stop. Diary. Something isn't rite. Neo Seoul. San Francisco. The images blur together and vanish, but the pressure stays. _This isn't a dream! Wake up!_

I jerk awake, panicking. The pressure is gone too. It takes me a moment to realize where I am. Sonmi is rite beside me, startled, eyes locked with mine. We're safe. It's just her. We stare at each other, she not moving at all, me still panting. She is so beautiful. Our faces are inches away, and I long to break the distance, to pull her close… _Concentrate! You know you can't do that! Just keep your distance. It's for her own good._

But I still move closer. Suddenly, my alarm starts bleeping madly. That's not good. A quick glance at the door behind me. Still locked, untouched. _How long will they last? _I quickly get up. She is still watching me, confused. "They found us," I xplain.

Taking her hands, I lead her to the bathroom, stopping only to take a gun from the closet, while the main door is being assailed. The bathroom window opens; I take the bridge contraption and put it on the windowsill, where it attaches itself. Then I shoot a cord into the opposite building, where it hooks into a wall and quickly becomes a bridge. Within seconds I'm on the bridge, offering a hand to Sonmi. She looks doubtful.

"I'll be with you the whole way. Now focus on me."

Mustering her courage, she accepts my hand and allows me to pull her on the bridge. The fact that we're so hi above ground that any wrong step means certain death isn't helping her courage, tho. She closes her eyes, and when she opens them again, they are fixed on me. _Good._ But she's still shaking.

"Stay with me," I try to calm her down. "Rite here." _Just keep looking into my eyes. _"I won't let you go."

I slowly back up on the metal bridge, holding her hands, leading her to safety. Wind howls in our ears. We can't stop. The door won't last much longer.

And then she looks down.

She screams and throws herself into my arms. I hold her close, never wanting to let go.

Suddenly, I hear a blast from inside. The door! The Enforcers are pouring into the apartment. I start shooting at them before they realize what's happening. One is down before others even start returning the fire. I realize I'm the main target and with Sonmi still around my neck, she will be hit very soon. So I grab one of her arms with my free hand and swing her away from me, while shooting more Enforcers. Their bullets fly all around us, none hitting the target. _They are awful shots. How did they ever get their job?_

Then I realize Sonmi is flailing around, trying to evade the bullets, standing on just one foot and her arm in my grasp. I pull her behind me and protect her with my own body. Three Enforcers down. Not many left.

I spin Sonmi around again to get a better shot and kill the last two Enforcers. But our trouble isn't over yet. From below, a small aero arrives, shooting at us. Grabbing Sonmi's legs, I carry her on the bridge to the other side, but the aero starts shooting in front of me so I have to turn around. With nowhere to go and no way to shoot with Sonmi in my arms, I put her down on the bridge. She's so scared, doesn't want me to let go, and my heart breaks when I have to leave her there. But there is no other way. She crawls after me as I back away, shooting at the aero on the way. But the aero returns fire and the bridge gets hit. Suddenly, I lose my balance and fall down. Despite the wind howling in my ears and the noise of the city below, I still manage to hear Sonmi's scream.

* * *

**Significant dreams, I can't write you.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed!  
**


	3. Part 2

**Enjoy ~**

* * *

I am a lucky bastard. I know that. Catching onto a rope as I was falling down to what was a certain death…I shouldn't have this much luck. I shouldn't even be alive! And yet here I am. In Unanimity's Enforcement Facility, where she is being held.

Seen Boardman Mephi walk by; most likely had a talk with her. Not good.

A lone Enforcer appears from one of the halls, heading my way. Now _that_ is good. With a quick shot, he's on the floor. I just hope nobody heard the gun. I put on his clothes and helmet; they are even my size! Will my luck stick with me even when I will really need it? Guess I'll have to find out.

I continue down the hallway, into another one, than another. Finally see more Enforcers, so I follow them. I eavesdrop on their chit-chat and soon learn where they are keeping her. 25th floor. I rush to the nearest elevator. Inside are three Enforcers. Upon seeing me, one of them xclaims: "There you are! We've been looking all over for you! The Fabricant has to be escorted to the Archivist before her xcisement, did you forget?"

"No, of course not, I was just-" Another one of the Enforcers hands me a pair of magnetic shackles. "-looking for these," I finish. They laugh like a pack of wild animals. Finally the elevator stops at the 25th floor. My three companions immediately switch into soldier mode, not uttering a word as we walk down the hallway to her cell.

Inside, she is slouched on the floor, her back against the cold wall. She is alive, but looks as if she had no will to live. _Why? What did Mephi tell her?_

I approach her. She doesn't even look at me - the one who is to bind her, or the other Enforcers. She stares in front of her, her eyes blank, her face devoid of any emotion. The urge to touch her, hug her, comfort her, is strong. I have to be stronger.

She stands up and lets me bind her wrists with the magnetic shackles. I fight my desires to grab her and run, as I know it isn't the rite time.

We lead her out of her cell and down the hallway. _Now_ is the rite time.

With a swift motion, I grab my gun and blast off the head of the Enforcer next to me. The other two only manage to turn around when another one takes a blow to his head. But that gives enough time for the third Enforcer to aim his gun at me. Xcept she is rite between us. _I shoot him, he shoots her. Or me. Not good._

So I pull her down and quickly spin around while a bullet passes by my head. I grab his arm, but he won't give up. I twist the arm and another shot goes out. My head slams into his, but that only gives us both a headache. My opponent tries to get a hold of me, and is even succeeding. Another blast to the wall. A kick to my knee and I'm down on the ground, trying to push his gun away from my head. I manage to steer it at the wall and as he fires, the impact throws him back and I quickly aim and shoot. Rite thru his heart.

I turn around to see her, fritened, watching me. She still doesn't know it's me. I put the gun back and release her shackles. She watches as they drop to the floor with a loud _clang_. Her eyes then find me again, but there is no horror in them anymore. She realizes I'm here to help her. I take off my helmet.

The second she recognizes me, she smiles the most joyous smile I've ever seen on her and leaps into my arms. I hold her as tightly as I dare and she clings to me as if all her xistence depended on it. I have not felt better in my life. "I won't let you go again," I promise. And not just to her, but also to myself. Because there is nothing in this world that would make me leave her again. _I'd rather die than let anything happen to her. I'm not even kidding._

* * *

We run from one hallway to another. _Why does this place have so many hallways anyway?_ Finally I spot the door. "In here," I tell her. The Facility's alarm begins wailing. "Hurry."

We're at the loading dock where our transporter is waiting. Unfortunately, we're not alone here. Three Enforcers have their guns trained at us.

"It's all rite," I say as we hold our hands up. "I work for Boardman Mephi." The alarm in the background distracts them for a moment and my hand is on my gun in an instant. The Enforcers fall down one by one. _Did nobody tell them how lethal a distraction can be?_

Our transport is close; I lead Sonmi inside. She hides behind a rack full of plumbing tools. I quickly take off the Enforcer clothes. Underneath is a Sanitary Engineer uniform. _Should make a good cover, rite?_ I climb into the driver's seat and float the Plumbing Service transporter out of the dock. Before the gate to the drivetube opens, the transporter is scanned by floating automatons.

"Clearance granted."

The gate opens and I drive the transporter out. I shoot a quick glance at Sonmi. She seems to be less nervous than I am. Good for her.

Once the transporter is on the drivetube, I pick up speed. But before we get any further, Enforcer vehicles and aeros surround us. I curse. My luck just left me. Great.

"Unanimity requires compliance," one of the Enforces says. "We have a security code Red, prepare to be boarded."

I smile and nod like an idiot.

"What are we going to do?" whispers Sonmi from behind me.

"Stay calm, stay calm," I say thru gritted teeth. I am anything but calm at this moment. I wave at the Enforcers, a smile plastered on my face.

The transporter is lifted from the drivetube and descended onto a small platform between buildings. The Enforcers get out of their vehicles and aim their guns at me.

"Hands in the air."

"Now!"

I blurt out some subspeak: "Mok-tang non sungh!"

"Move it!"

"Step off the vehicle!"

"Sungh nar-bar, bar-sungh!"

"Get down!"

Hands in air. "Nong-ire! Nong-ire!"

"Down, now!"

"Ja-yah, ja-yah!"

It seems they had enough of my blabbering since they smack me against the transporter and pin me there. I start with the hysterics, yammering in more subspeak.

"Fuckin' migrant monkey-talk."

"Why do they hire these greasy subs?"

Apparently they scanned me now because one of them says: "Negative, sir. Definite illegal."

"Detain him for now."

One of them grabs my wrists and holds them behind my back. My mouth won't shut up. I feel a gun pressed to my back. Then suddenly…

"I'm reading a second life form!"

"Where?"

"In the truck."

"Check it out."

"Yes, sir."

I watch two of them walk over to the transporter's back door. My hands go back to the transporter's side. I turn my head slightly to see behind me. The Enforcer still has his gun trained on me. The aero is also nearby.

I hear the back door being rolled up. Only a matter of time now.

"Forcecom 1, entering the truck."

"I turn in visual."

My hysterics begin again.

"It's her!"

_So they found her at last._ "Everything okay, huh?" I yell at her, and get ready.

At litening speed, I turn around, grab the Enforcer's gun and shoot a second Enforcer behind him, the blast sending the first one flying too.

"What?!"

The other Enforcers rush to me. The first one to get here misses me; I leap onto his shoulders and point his own gun at him. He shoots. The other one also misses me as I jump into the transporter, quickly check on Sonmi, grab a bomb on the way and then climb onto the roof. Once there, I swing the bomb's chain and throw it at the aero. It lands on the windshield. I hear the pilot panicking.

There's one more enforcer down there, tho, so I quickly roll down from the roof, landing between Sonmi and the last Enforcer. He shoots but misses too. _Are you kidding me?_ I roll over one of their vehicles and turn it on in the process. The vehicle takes off and the Enforcer just happens to be in its way. As he falls down, the aero xplodes as well.

I stand up and watch the aero's remains fall. Then I turn around and see Sonmi, staring at me in awe.

"Who are you?"

She's ready for the truth now. "Commander Hae-Joo Chang. First Science Officer of the Union Rebellion."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I believe you have the power to change this world." _And because I love you. Oh, stop it, Chang. This isn't over yet._

* * *

The stolen Enforcer vehicle falls from the platform onto the nearest drivetube. Unfortunately, this tube flows in the opposite direction. Other vehicles fly by us, some almost hitting us, but somehow we evade any crash. Sonmi's holding tightly onto my back while I concentrate on the driving. But we're not the only ones going the opposite direction. Two Enforcer vehicles follow us, and another aero shows up, opening fire. I let the vehicle fall onto a lower-level tube to dodge the bullets. But the Enforcers follow us into whichever tube we fall. Finally I get rid of them, but that's when the aero shows up, rite in front of us. A moment of hesitation, then I pull out a gun and shoot into the windshield repeatedly. The aero flies off and our vehicle falls thru another drivetube. And then another and another until we land on the lowest level.

This drivetube is prohibited and therefore completely empty. Unfortunately, that makes us a very easy target for the three aeros that appear behind us.

But since the pilots are even worse shots than the Enforcers, the buildings around the tube are the ones getting hit. These aeros are equipped with missiles, tho, and some even get dangerously close. As we speed down the tube, I notice the dam approaching. _We are close. _

Another missile-shooting aero joins the group. Few more missiles swish by and hit the dam as we enter the damway tube.

I stop the vehicle shortly after we arrive into the damway – a tunnel leading thruout the sunken Old Seoul. We're still alone here. I dismount and help Sonmi get off too. Soon the Enforcer vehicles enter the damway. I draw another bomb out of my bag.

"What are you doing?" She probably realizes what I'm about to do.

There is no time for xplanation, I just look at her and hope she will trust me. Then I swing the bomb and thrust it at the Enforcers closing on us. They all evade the bomb, but it doesn't matter. It turns upwards and attaches itself to the damway wall.

And then it detonates.

Waves of water start flooding in, disabling the drivetube. I open one of the manholes in the tunnel. Our pursuers fall to the ground, a humongous wave rite behind them.

"Come on! Come on, hurry!" I help Sonmi get into the manhole.

The wave hits the Enforcers. It's almost here. I jump into the manhole too and close it just in time.

* * *

Huamndonggil is most active at nite. When the proper people sleep during their curfew, the less proper ones wander the streets. The Enforces gave up on trying to get them to beds long ago; now all they care about is keeping order. Or find fugitives like us.

Trip thru the sewage wasn't pleasant, and after getting out of there, we needed a change of clothes. Sonmi was surprised to see I had brought her fresh clothes. We quickly washed ourselves, trying to rid our bodies of the stench, and changed into the new clothes. Then we entered the crowded streets.

Stalls with various merchandises are everywhere our eyes can see. People, Purebloods mostly, flow like a river all around us. We have to push our way thru the crowd. I hold tightly onto Sonmi's arm, in case someone decides to take her. It wouldn't be the first time in these parts.

As the Enforcers get close, we both turn our back to them, pretending to admire the goods in the stalls. They don't notice us.

"Come on," I lead her further down the street. "Stay close. Fabricants get snatched here." I figured she needs the warning.

She silently walks beside me, looking around, a bit scared now. Then again, maybe it wasn't the best idea.

Her eyes keep looking everywhere, and when she notices a stall with dead rats, she probably can't help but ask: "This is where you live?"

Sort of. "This…is where Union was born."

She processes the information. Then she notices a Sonmi prostitute. For a while, she can't look away from her. I wonder what she's thinking. On second thought, I mite not want to know.

Finally we reach our destination; I knock at a wall of a building. A small hole appears.

"It's Chang."

The hole vanishes and a hidden door opens in front of us. We enter.

Xi-Li leads us down the stairs to Gil-Su, who motions for us to stop. Two men xit from a nearby hallway and pass us. The first one looks me in the eye. It's not a friendly look. I glare at him as he walks by.

"Bring them thru."

I nod to Gil-Su while Xi-Li leads us into the hallway, then to a small room. Inside is the man who ordered me to bring Sonmi here – the General.

Upon seeing us, he smiles broadly. "Sonmi~451, I am most honored to meet you."

I stay in the back while she approaches him. He's not interested in me, anyway.

"I am General An-kor Apis, leader of Union." He bows his head slightly and she returns the gesture.

The General doesn't waste any more time and reveals the true reason why she was ascended and brought here. Even tho I knew the whole plan all along, it isn't pleasant to listen to it again. After meeting Sonmi…I fear what the future will bring.

As soon as he's finished, Sonmi objects. "General Apis…"

"You, my dear," he cuts her off, "are proof our efforts were not in vain."

"But…I'm just a dinery server. I was not genomed to alter reality."

"No revolutionary ever was."

She ponders this for a moment, then hangs her head. "I'm sorry. I cannot do what you're asking."

I feared it would come to this. General Apis doesn't take no for an answer, and he has everything he needs to make her change her mind.

He smiles sadly. "It would be a difficult choice for anyone." He turns away from her. "But, before you call your decision final," he faces her again, "there is one last thing I would like you to see. In order to fully understand what we are fighting for."

She turns to me, uncertain.

I look at the General, my eyes pleading. _Does she really have to?_ His stern xpression is more than enough of an answer, but he nods too, just to be sure I understand.

* * *

**Some of the additional scenes were borrowed from the script (they didn't make it to the final cut, unfortunately). Also, all the Korean (I think?) subspeak is from there. I hope it's not offensive, I really have no idea what it means or what he actually said in the movie xD**


	4. Part 3

**Final part!**

* * *

Dreams of the sailing ship never leave me. Sometimes I feel like they are more than dreams. A memory, old and distant. A feeling like I've been there. Similar to how I feel about her….as if I've known her for ages. And the dreams only started after I met her…

I feel the pressure on my chest again. My consciousness slowly creeps into my brain, but this time I don't panic. Somehow I know we're safe. I just want to see what causes the pressure. My eyelids flutter open ever so slightly, and what I see surprises me.

Her head is lying on my chest, her eyes closed as if sleeping. Suddenly I begin to worry. Did she have a nitemare? Did she see something bad? _I should probably ask her._

I slowly rise, supporting my body with elbows. She wakes too and raises her head from me. Her eyes are fixed on mine.

"Are you alrite?" I'm really worried.

She's quiet for a while, and then: "I know…it is forbidden…" Her gaze moves on to my lips.

Is this really happening? Is she asking what I think she is? Can I really be that lucky?

She leans toward me, our faces getting closer and closer. A small hesitation and then our lips meet.

Oh, how much I longed to do this! But I still hold back, it's her first kiss after all. It has to be gentle. My hand slowly finds its way to her neck.

Our first kiss is innocent, short, but amazing. I pull back a little and see her smiling. I couldn't be happier. She leans for another kiss.

This time, it's more passionate. Neither of us holds back anymore. And why should we?

Soon we are both stripped of our clothes. She's a bit nervous, having no idea what to xpect. But she trusts me, and that's more than enough.

* * *

When I wake, she's still sleeping in my arms. I smile. But then I wonder…was it too soon? Was she ready for this? She's only had her first kiss yesterday, was it rite to move things so fast? _We both wanted it,_ the smarter part of my conscience reminds me. _And there is not much time left for either of us. This was maybe our last chance._ I sigh. Knowing where I'll be taking her later this day, I know it is true. She will change her mind, and she will follow General's plan. And then…_ Stop it, Chang, don't think any further. Nobody knows for sure what the future holds; it's the present that is important. Now enjoy it while it lasts._

I focus on the woman in my arms. Rite. She is mine and I am hers. Nothing else matters.

* * *

A giant freiter named GEO-R93 is in the docks. Sonmi watches as her fellow Fabricant servers from Papa Song's line the docks and board the freiter. She doesn't look at me as I approach her.

"This is what the General wanted me to see?"

When I don't respond immediately she turns to me. I nod and give her a red Aide uniform.

Once inside the ship, a chorus echoes all over the place. The Hymns of Freedom and Xultation. Dressed in the Aide uniforms, we watch an endless crowd of singing twelve-starred Fabricants walk aboard and make their way towards their…freedom. They are all xcited.

But Sonmi realizes something isn't rite. "They believe they're going to Xultation. But they are not, are they?"

Her eyes are fixed on the marching servers. I don't answer her question; she doesn't need me to.

The next part of the ship I take her to is also the worst one. I hate myself for bringing her here, and I hate the General for forcing her to witness this.

As we enter, she begins to tremble. Whatever she xpected, this is far beyond that. She watches with horror as hundreds and hundreds of Fabricant bodies are recycled. An army of automatons equipped with saws, scissors and other various tools burn clothes, cut off heads, hands and feet, peel skin… She's speechless; she didn't xpect such cruelty even towards clones.

My voice is lifeless as I tell her the harsh truth. "The genomics industry demands a huge quantity of biomatter for wombtanks. But more importantly to sustain their engineered labor force. Recycled Fabricants are a cheap source of protein."

"Soap." Her voice is shaking. "They feed us to ourselves."

* * *

We're back in my house in Huamndonggil. After our return, Sonmi won't talk at all; all she does is sit on the bed and stare into nothingness. I don't blame her, or myself, or even the General. It isn't our fault; the authorities that allow such heinous acts are the ones to blame. But I can't stand looking at her being so broken and horrified, so I take her into my arms. She can't hold it in anymore and begins crying. No words of comfort can possibly make her feel better, so I just lie down with her, curl around her trembling body and hold her as she quietly weeps. We stay like this for hours.

"That ship…" she finally says, "that ship must be destroyed."

"Yes."

"The systems that built them must be torn down."

"Yes."

"No matter if we're born in a tank or a womb, we are all Pureblood."

"Yes."

"We must all fight, and if necessary, die, to teach people the truth."

When my response doesn't come, she turns to me. I stare at her face for a moment before I reply.

"This is what we have been waiting for."

She gives me a sad smile. We both know what's going to happen now. And as much as the thought hurts me, I know she made the rite decision. And the General got what he wanted.

"I'm so sorry," she whispers.

I kiss her. "Don't be. You're doing the rite thing. This," I point at us, "wasn't even supposed to happen. It'd be much easier if it didn't happen. But, as selfish as it may be, I am glad it did."

"So am I." She snuggles into my chest and I hold her, savoring the last moments we have left together.

* * *

The next morning, Sonmi is taken to our satellite link, where she is to broadcast her Revelation to the Twelve States and Four Off-World Colonies. She is put into the broadcast booth while I am assigned commanding the soldiers. There aren't many of us, but our goal isn't to win or even survive; we only have to buy her time and protect her for as long as possible. There is no saving her, she herself agreed to be xecuted by Unanimity after the broadcast. I'm glad I wouldn't have to witness that.

It doesn't take long for the Enforcers to show up.

"_To be is to be perceived,"_ her voice echoes around the station.

The doors are being assailed. We still have some time.

"_And so to know thyself is only possible thru the eyes of the other."_

I turn and look at her. This is probably the last time I see her. Emotions flood me as our eyes meet. I wish we had more time together.

We ready our weapons as the doors are almost stormed.

"_The nature of our immortal lives is in the consequences of our words and deeds that go on and are pushing themselves thruout all time."_

The doors xplode. Both the Enforcers and my soldiers open fire. But the Enforcers have grenades, and waste no time with using them. Two of my groups go flying, while the rest shoot at the enemy.

"_Our lives are not our own."_

More xplosions, more fallen soldiers.

"_From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. Past and present."_

I grab a grenade and toss it into the enemy ranks, then shoot at them. Men get shot on both sides. Another grenade hits us.

"_And by each crime, and every kindness, we birth our future."_

I get hit by an xplosion and fly thru the air. When I land, I know it's over for me. I manage to turn my head to look at Sonmi once more. Her crying face is the last thing I see.

* * *

**Aaand that's it. Thank you for sticking with my writing till the end ^^**

**EDIT: OMG guys, thanks for the favs and review! Means a lot to me! ^3^ **

**And watch thiiiiiiis: ** /watch?v=oHOM9p2PzKo **! You won't regret, the video is pure perfection *_*  
**


	5. Acknowledgements

I figured I'd put in the acknowledgements post as well, seeing as I have really no other way to reply to all of you guys xD

So, first of all, let me thank each and every one of you who actually found the time to read my silly writing. Each chapter has almost 300 views, which is way more than I ever expected. So **THANK YOU** :)

Then I'd like to thank all the amazing people who reviewed, favorited and/or followed this story. You're amazing, and I love you :D

And lastly, now I can finally reply to the reviewers (sorry it took so long, I was trying to find a way to reply, I'm still quite new on these forums :D)

**heartisreeling** – Thanks so much for the kind review! It gave me hope that I wasn't such a horrible author after all. :D

**Zireael07** – Glad you like it! And thanks a lot too! :)

**ThornBirds** – This...just...I could hug you, you know that? Your review is greatly appreciated and I'm so happy you liked it so much! Don't worry, reading the novel beforehand wasn't necessary, seeing the movie was the important part. :) I actually do have some more stories about Cloud Atlas in mind (among others) and hopefully they'll end up being written down one day too. So, again, thanks! :)

*free hugs to everyone*

Also, I'll try to update this post whenever some new alerts come so if you reviewed, you can find the reply here later :)


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